Flood barriers

ABSTRACT

A flood barrier includes glass panels ( 5 ) held within a metal frame that includes hollow vertical posts ( 1 ) having caps ( 3 ) designed for removal so that spigots ( 20 ) can be fitted in the posts ( 1 ) to allow upward extensions ( 19 ) to be connected to the metal frame.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to flood barriers.

There is an increasing requirement for flood protection due to moresevere weather patterns predicted by global warming. There are manyareas in which a traditional floodwall would have a negative aestheticeffect and there have been a number of designs of glass wall floodcontrol systems that allow walls and embankment protection heights to beraised with minimal visual impact.

The water levels that flood barriers are required to protect against areset by national agencies and/or decided upon by the property owners.However, there have been a number of cases in which the design floodlevels have been increased after a flood barrier has been installed and,with the forecast climate changes, this is likely to be an increasinglycommon occurrence.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide animproved flood barrier design to meet this problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided aflood barrier that includes structural glass held within a metal framethat includes hollow vertical posts having caps designed for removal sothat spigots can be fitted in the posts to allow upward extensions to beconnected to the metal frame.

The upward extensions are then able to support temporary or permanentflood panels or interlocking water-tight beams.

Provision may be made for connecting struts to the back of the floodbarrier to provide additional support for the barrier for protectionagainst the additional loads to which it may be subjected.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda method of providing enhanced flood protection that includes the use ofa flood barrier as defined above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of part of a flood barrier in its initialunextended condition,

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the part of the flood barrier shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a first step of the procedure involved in increasing theheight of the flood barrier,

FIG. 4 shows the next step in the procedure, and

FIG. 5 shows the upwardly extended flood barrier.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The flood barriers comprise two main sections, namely a number of lowerglass sections and added height metal upper sections that can be addedto the lower sections as and when required, for example, in response toflood warnings.

The glass sections of the flood barrier are designed to be permanentlyinstalled on a structural foundation, which may be a ground-levelfooting or a wall.

The Permanently Installed Glass Sections

Each glass section comprises a toughened glass panel 5 held within ametal frame. Each frame is composed of a number of separate parts,namely a lower frame channel 4, vertical glass support posts 1 and anupper frame channel 2, together with a separate post cap 3. The frameparts are bolted to the structural foundation and to each other to forma rigid frame. Each vertical glass support post 1 is fabricated from ahollow box section forming the web of the post with two plates welded toeither side to form flanges. A baseplate allows the post to be fixeddown to the structural foundation using support post fixing bolts 17 andone tamperproof fixing bolt 16, if required.

Each glass panel 5 is held within the associated channels using seals,namely lower frame seals 9, vertical glass seals 12 and upper frameseals 8. The seals are compressed by a number of compression clampingbolts 18 that tighten clamping angles that fit inside the four sides ofthe frame parts against the glass. When the bolts 18 are tightened, eachglass panel 5 is held firm between the main members of the frame and theclamping angles, with the glass surface protected by the seals.

The glass floodwall is multi-span and the posts 1 between adjacent glasspanels 5 each have a top-fitting post cap 3. The post cap 3 covers thehollow box section element of the fabricated vertical support post 1,and is held in place using two post cap/spigot fixing bolts 15. The postcap 3 is designed to be the same profile as the upper frame channel 2 sothat there is a smooth surface to the top of the glass floodwall.

Additional Removable Panels

With the permanent glass section described above erected, it is possibleto raise the height of the flood protection with the addition ofremovable support post extenders 19 and metal panels 30.

To enable the posts to be extended, first the post caps 3 are removed byunscrewing the post cap/spigot fixing bolts 15, and pulling each cap out3 from the box section of the respective vertical post 1. A spigot 20 isthen inserted into the top of the post 1 and fixed using the postcap/spigot fixing bolts 15. The spigot 20 has a threaded socket fixed toits top.

Each demountable support post extender 19 is the same section as theassociated glass support post 1, and the hollow box section that formsthe web of the demountable support post extender 19 is fitted over therespective spigot 20. The demountable support post extender 19 haspermanently fitted seals 24 that sit under the base of the demountablesupport post extender 19, and there are seals between the inside edgesof the vertical flanges of each support post extender 19. Each supportpost extender 19 also has within it a long bolt 28 and, when the postextender 19 has been mounted over the spigot 20, the bolt 28 can beturned to engage with the threaded socket of the spigot 20, to press thedemountable support post extender 19 firmly and securely down onto theglass support post 1.

If required, by the design and the height of the floodwater to beretained, an angled brace 35, 36 can be fitted to the back of thedemountable support post extender 19 using a connecting pin 37. The farend of the brace is fixed to a ground anchor 34, and the brace 35, 36can be extended or retracted by telescoping the upper section 35 of thebrace relative to the lower section 36 of the adjustable brace to suitthe ground conditions, the height of the barrier and the location of asuitable foundation.

Once the required number of demountable post extenders 19 have beenadded, additional flood panels 30 can be slotted in between the sealsthat run up the inside of the vertical flanges of the post extenders 19to extend the flood protection height of the wall.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flood barrier comprising structural glass heldwithin a metal frame that includes hollow vertical posts having capsdesigned for removal so that spigots can be fitted in the posts to allowupward extensions to be connected to the metal frame.
 2. The floodbarrier as claimed in claim 1, which includes means for connectingstruts to the back of the flood barrier to provide additional supportfor the barrier for protection against the additional loads to which itmay be subjected.
 3. A method of providing enhanced flood protectionthat includes the use of a flood barrier as claimed in claim
 1. 4. Themethod as claimed in claim 3, which includes removal of the caps,fitting spigots in the upper ends of the posts and engaging upwardextensions with the spigots.